Woman in Love
by Spanish Sunrise
Summary: Chloe's thoughts about her feelings for Jack. She loves him and he's in love with Renee. The secret pain Chloe goes through everyday, but would never admit.


**A one-shot song-fic about Chloe being secretly in love with every woman's dream, Jack Bauer.**

**Review please.**

Chloe pulled a stray lock of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear, her dishwater-brown hair pulled up in her usual messy ponytail. She was in full-out work mode, a pencil in the elastic of her blue hair-tie, a plastic Bic pen cracking in the corner of her mouth. Her right hand clutched her computer mouse in a death grip, the cursor flying across the screen at lightning-speed. Her guarded hazel eyes scanned over the contents of the encrypted file, another task from Jack.

She refused to think of his name. She would not allow herself the luxury until she was done. Her heart fluttered each time he approached her, each time he spoke with her, even when telling her to unscrabled codes and passwords. The screen blinked and Chloe bit her lip. Her much-abused forefinger clicking rapidly on the left button of her wireless mouse.

Her muscles ached but she hardly noticed, sitting for over an hour staring at infinite numbers and letters jumbled together. She was finally having a break through. The digits and letters shifted and multiplied, a small timer at the corner of her blackened screen reading how much seconds she had left until decoding. Three...two...one. Yes!

Chloe threw her arms in the air in triumph.

The file was found.

She made a move to stand up, going to look for Jack. She didn't have to move very far, she didn't even have to walk away from her desk. Looking up in the direction of the flirtatious, bell-like giggle was more than enough.

_Life is a moment in space_

_When the dream is gone_

_It's a lonelier place_

_I kiss the morning good-bye_

_But down inside you know_

_We never know why_

Chloe's heart was being ripped violently out of her chest. She stifled the urge to cry out. In the large, cubicle-filled first floor of CTU, was a wide open space, made conveniently for personnel to walk back in forth from station to station and argue with each other how their plans of action were better than the others'. On that open lobby, full of employees shuffling back and forth, manila folders under their arms, stood Jack.

His arms were wrapped around the beautiful Renee. The brave, independent Renee with hair the color of Pheonix feathers. Chloe willed herself to look away, but her brain wouldn't listen, would not send signals to her neck so it would turn her face away. It was as if her mind was trying to punish her heart for some despicable deed.

Renee's arms were wrapped around Jack's neck, her fingers gently stroking his blonde hair and the back of his neck. He seemed happy, giving Renee a rare, breath-taking smile that Chloe would walk the world for just a tiny glimpse of it.

_The road is narrow and long_

_When eyes meet eyes_

_And the feeling is strong_

_I turn away from the wall_

_I stumble and fall_

_But I give you it all_

Chloe watched Jack pull Renee into him, her head resting against his chest. Chloe doubted that all the pain in the world could ever match up to what she was feeling now. Her emotional pain was turning physical, she felt as if her heart was about to burst through her body, her stomach along with it. She clutched at her lower abdomen, leaning an elbow on her desk, biting hard on her tongue, cursing at herself, not wanting to cry.

Her body was betraying her.

She watched as Jack wrapped his arms completely around his Renee. She swallowed hard from noticing how obvious it was that the two belonged together. Jack put his cheek on the top of Renee's head, burning bright like fire. Chloe did not mind admitting to herself how jealous she was of Renee. Not because of her slim hourglass figure, forest green eyes, and long, thick hair. But because Jack chose Renee.

And not her.

_I am a woman in love_

_And I'd do anything_

_To get you into my world_

_And hold you within_

_It's a right I defend_

_Over and over again_

_What do I do?_

Chloe did not know what to do. But she _did_ know, that if there was even the slightest possibility that Jack might want her, she would walk a thousand miles just to hear the thought. He never seemed to realize, how she could not breath when he leaned over her, staring at her computer screen overdrived with decoded files.

Did he have any idea, that whenever he slid into the chair next to her at meetings, her heart would stop and her collected mind would scatter? Making her sound like a fool in front of him and her team, whenever her director called upon her to update the progress of her computer decoding and tracking system.

Chloe's eyes burned with salty, hot tears. She refused to let them fall, even when they blurred their vision. She watched Jack's hand slide up Renee's neck, disapearing behind her curtain of red. Jack. She savored the unspoken name, feeling the pleasant taste of it in her mouth. Chloe wonderd if Renee knew as much about Jack as she did.

Did she know that his favorite color is red?

That he likes his coffee black?

How he prefers long sleeved shirts made out of soft fleece, in dark colors like navy blue and hunter green?

Did she know what kind of cologne he wears?

His favorite band was Queen?

Chloe relished in the thought that in one small point, Chloe was better for him than Renee. You could fill an entire book with things Renee did not know about Jack.

_With you eternally mine  
_  
_In love there is  
_  
_No measure of time  
_  
_They planned it all at the start  
_  
_That you and I  
_  
_Live in each other's heart_

Oh God, he was killing her.

Stabbing her with his words and declaration of love to Renee.

Murdering her slowly with that love-filled gaze that swept of Renee like a tidal wave.

Chloe had seen Jack in action, threatening and torturing the truth out of terrorists. There was nothing that he had ever done, no method of inhumane torture, that could be compared to this. Chloe would rather have him shoot her in the leg, or break her nose, beating it into her face. She would wear the sensor-disorientator for hours. She would rather have him plug small volts of electricity through her body, sparking her veins.

It was just like Jack to use the most painful point of action.

His thin lips traveled the side of Renee's face, meeting her full, ruby-red ones in the end.

_We may be oceans away  
_  
_You feel my love  
_  
_I hear what you say  
_  
_No truth is ever a lie  
_  
_I stumble and fall  
_  
_But I give you it all_

Chloe sprung up from her black desk chair, lurching towards the nearest exit, which was so 'convieniently' located right past Jack.

Chloe was suffocating.

She had to get out into the air, before the tears that were staining her lavender shirt drowned the personnel of CTU.

She stormed towards them, ignoring the concerned shouts of her co-workers, demanding to know what was wrong. Jack ripped his mouth away from Renee's; confused at to what the commotion was about. Chloe was humiliated beyond words, dragging the back of her hand over her eyes, in attempt to rid them of the dreadful tears.

_I am a woman in love  
_  
_And I'd do anything  
_  
_To get you into my world  
_  
_And hold you within  
_  
_It's a right I defend  
_  
_Over and over again  
_  
_What do I do?_

Jack blinked at Chloe as she power-walked past him, her chest heaving with effort to breathe.

Chloe noted that Renee didn't look to pleased with being interrupted.

"Chloe?" He murmured, his serious eyes burning into her own, eyes that were the color of the Mediterranean Sea.

Her heart swelled when he said her name."I got the files." She managed."They're on my computer." She choked out.

Jack gave a dismissive nod about the files."Chloe." He said again, patiently."Are you alright?"

She nodded her head, to quickly and vigorously, avoiding those heart-breaker eyes."Fine." She whispered pathetically, side stepping him slowly, delaying so she could stay longer in his presence.

_I am a woman in love  
_  
_And I'm talkin' to you  
_  
_You know how you feel  
_  
_What a woman can do  
_  
_It's a right I defend_

Chloe burst through the heavy metal doors of the cold, dark CTU, and into the warm California sun. It's shining rays, in many ways much like Jack's smile, soaked into her body, warming her solid, emotional core. Chloe spread her arms, as if she was about to embrace the blue-bird sky. She could finally breathe.

Jack's voice lay imprinted on her mind.

His eyes, full of concern when he looked at her, made her melt into the ground.

They pain was still barely bearable.

I love you.

She had screamed mentally at the top of her lungs, over and over and over at him, for the brief seconds in which she basked in his glowing, powerful presence.

He was like a pillar of strength.

Someone she could depend on. To love her no matter what.

If only he did, if only.

_Over and over again_

Yes, she loved her more than life itself. She would give her world just to lift his up.

He has been through so much pain.

She knew that he could never love her.

She was only a friend, a coworker, nothing more and nothing less.

She would swallow her pride and pain, and would be there for him if he ever needed her.

Chloe squinted in the sun. Feel a little bit better. The type of numbness that you get from Tylenol.

She smiled up to the skies, knowing she would be alright.

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**Review please. :)**


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